In a ruling that concludes a long-running case, the Court of Appeal in Ilorin has upheld the death sentences of five men convicted for their roles in the 2018 Offa bank robbery, one of the deadliest attacks on Nigerian banks in recent memory.
The three-judge panel, led by Justice Ridwan Abdullahi alongside Justices Gabriel Kolawole and Abdul Dogo, dismissed the appeals of Niyi Ogundiran, Salawu Azeez, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Ayoade Akinnibosun, and Adeola Abraham, describing their arguments as baseless. The convicts are to be returned immediately to prison to serve their sentences.
The convictions stem from a coordinated assault in April 2018 on five commercial banks in Offa, Kwara State, which left at least 32 people dead, including nine police officers. The men were found guilty of armed robbery, illegal possession of firearms, and culpable homicide.
A sixth accused, retired police officer Michael Adikwu, passed away in custody before the trial began.
Justice Haleemah Saleeman of the Kwara State High Court had originally handed down the death sentences after a trial lasting approximately six years, a case that drew national attention due to the scale and brutality of the crime.
Lead counsel for the prosecution, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), commended the appellate court for its thorough and well-considered ruling, despite the protracted duration of the trial. Meanwhile, Abdullah Jimba, representing one of the convicts, confirmed plans to file a final appeal with the Supreme Court.
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